Thermo-optical Switch Matrix Based on Silicon-on-Insulator Waveguides

A thermo-optical waveguide switch matrix is designed and fabricated on silicon-on-insulator wafer. Multi-mode interferometers are used as power splitters and combiners in a Mach--Zehnder structure. Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching is used to fabricate the waveguides. The rise and fall times of the switch matrix are 13μs and 7μs, respectively. Switch cells have an average switching power consumption of 340mW.